Commercial / Community Wastewater Treatment
Information is available from a wide range of sources to help communities better understand decentralized/onsite wastewater treatment – benefits, responsibilities, funding and much more.
National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association NOWRA)
- Does Your Community Need a Sewer? (PDF)
- Restaurant Dos and Don’ts for Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (PDF) - High-strength wastewater
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheets:
The four documents below offer brief but compelling reasons why communities should consider decentralized wastewater treatment solutions when making water infrastructure decisions.
- Introduction to Decentralized Wastewater Treatment: A Sensible Solution (PDF)
- Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Can Be Cost Effective and Economical (PDF)
- Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Can Be Green and Sustainable (PDF)
- Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Can Protect the Environment, Public Health, and Water Quality (PDF)
Manuals & Guidelines:
- Voluntary National Guidelines for Management of Onsite and Clustered (Decentralized) Wastewater Treatment Systems (PDF) - Guide to help communities establish comprehensive management programs to ensure that their decentralized systems function properly.
- Guidelines Factsheet (PDF)
- Presentation: Understanding the Decentralized Management Guidelines (PDF)
- Handbook for Managing Onsite and Clustered (Decentralized) Wastewater Treatment Systems (PDF) - A "how-to" guide for implementing EPA's Voluntary National Guidelines for Management of Onsite and Clustered (Decentralized) Wastewater Treatment Systems. The guide describes a step-by-step approach for the development of a community management program for decentralized wastewater systems.
- Handbook Factsheet (PDF)
- It's Your Choice: A Guidebook for Local Officials on Small Community Wastewater Management Options (PDF) - Booklet that describes wastewater management systems for communities serving populations fewer than 10,000 people.
- Programs Related to Septic Systems
- Tribal Management of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (PDF)
- Planning for Septic Systems: Use of Online Decentralized Systems in Developing Areas (PDF) - Provides information for homeowners and community officials on the realities of septic systems, the benefits of an onsite wastewater management plan, the steps in developing a plan, and resources for more information.
- The Local Government Environmental Assistance Network (LGEAN) is a "first-stop shop" providing environmental management, planning, funding, and regulatory information for local government elected and appointed officials, managers, and staff.
- Case Studies and Demonstration Projects
- Decentralized Background and Technology (PDF) - This presentation talks about the pros and cons of centralized sewers and septic systems. It also discusses different septic system technologies.
- Distributed Systems Overview Fact Sheet (PDF)
- Large-Capacity Septic Systems
National Environmental Services Center (NESC)
- Rural and Small Systems Guidebook to Sustainable Utility ...
- Septic Systems: A Practical Alternative for Small Communities (PDF) - Pipeline newsletter, Summer 2004 - When properly designed, installed, and maintained, septic systems can be the most cost-effective and efficient method of wastewater treatment a homeowner can choose.
- Why and How to Educate the Homeowner about Septic Systems (PDF)
Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF)
- Performance and Costs for Decentralized Unit Processes
- Modeling Onsite Wastewater Systems at the Watershed Scale: A User’s Guide
- When to Consider Distributed Systems in an Urban and Suburban Context
- Guidance for Establishing Successful Responsible Management Entities
- Analysis of Existing Community-Sized Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems
- Guidance for Evaluation of Potential Groundwater Mounding Associated with Cluster and High-Density Wastewater Soil Absorption System
- Integration: A New Framework and Strategy for Water Management in Cities and Towns
- Sustainable Water Resources Management Volume 1: Executive Summary
- Sustainable Water Resources Management Volume 2: Green Building Case Studies
- Sustainable Water Resources Management Volume 3: Case Studies on New Water Paradigm
- Decentralized Wastewater System Reliability Analysis Handbook
- New Approaches in Decentralized Water Infrastructure
- Wastewater Planning Handbook: Mapping Onsite Treatment Needs, Pollution Risks, and Management Options Using GIS
- Methods for Comparison of Wastewater Treatment Options
- Application of a Risk-Based Approach to Community Wastewater Management: Tisbury, Massachusetts
- Overcoming Barriers to Evaluation and Use of Decentralized Wastewater Technologies and Management
- Quantifying Site-Scale Processes and Watershed-Scale Cumulative Effects of Decentralized Wastewater Systems
- Creative Community Design and Wastewater Management
- A Status of Tools and Support for Community Decentralized Wastewater Solutions
- Smart, Clean, and Green: 21st Century Sustainable Water Infrastructure
- Expanding Communication in Communities Addressing Wastewater Needs
- Cluster Wastewater Systems Planning Handbook
- Assessment of Grease Interceptor Performance - High-strength wastewater